In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Autumn Pearl’.
The present variety was hybridized by us in 2005 as a first generation cross using ‘Giant Pearl’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,240) nectarine as the selected seed parent and ‘September Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,475) nectarine as the selected pollen parent. The fruit of this cross was gathered that summer, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2008 we selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Giant Pearl’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,240) nectarine by being a medium size tree, by being self-fruitful, by having reniform leaf glands, and by producing nectarines that are firm, mostly red in skin color, white in flesh color, globose in shape, and clingstone in type, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that matures about three weeks later, that is somewhat smaller in size, and that has a blend of acid and sugar rather than subacidic in taste.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘September Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,475) nectarine by being self-fruitful, by having reniform leaf glands, by having a small blossom, by having reniform leaf glands, and by producing nectarines that are firm, that are mostly red in skin color, that are globose in shape, that are clingstone in type, and that mature in early September, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is somewhat larger in size, and that has a blend of acid and sugar rather than acidic in flavor, that is much sweeter, and that is white instead of yellow in flesh color.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Pearlicious XVII’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,835) nectarine by being a medium size tree, by being self-fruitful, and by producing nectarines that are firm, mostly red in skin color, white in flesh color, sweet in flavor, globose in shape, and clingstone in type, but is distinguished therefrom by having a small blossom instead of large and by producing fruit that has a bitter instead of sweet kernel and that matures about one week later when compared side by side during the same year.